New Zealand v England, 1st Test, Tauranga, 16-20 February, 2023

OK, so the five days bit is superfluous, but… Bazball’s coming home?

England tour party announced. Ahmed not taken in unfriendly conditions (focusing on his white-ball winter), Wood rested, new daddy Broad back.

England squad for Test series in New Zealand: Ben Stokes (Durham capt.), James Anderson (Lancashire), Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire), Harry Brook (Yorkshire), Zak Crawley (Kent), Ben Duckett (Nottinghamshire), Ben Foakes (Surrey), Will Jacks (Surrey), Dan Lawrence (Essex), Jack Leach (Somerset), Ollie Pope (Surrey), Matthew Potts (Durham), Ollie Robinson (Sussex), Joe Root (Yorkshire), Olly Stone (Nottinghamshire)

I would have preferred to see more of Rehan than Jacks, whatever the conditions. tauranga is
usually a road, but is it a D/N this time? Usually we lose those. Surprise to see Lawrence back in.
Wood seems to be in for a long rest after pak. I dont think hes in the odi squad for SA either.
I spose hell be tied up in cotton wool til the ashes.

In the past players were rather frowned upon going off to the IPL or preferring it to playing for
their county and getting practice for the tests next summer. Now it seems the current regime thinks
playing T20s in UAE or IPL is more useful and will make them better test players. Its a bit strange.
OTOH I guess STokes wanted to play in it, so it would be difficult to say no to anyone else. Anyway
Root Brook & Curran all bought up, Rehan wasnt. I think IPL runs for most april and May, so
they wont have any or much time for FC games before the tests start in June.

Well, the ECB are obviously trying not to pigeonhole young players into one format, and Rehan will surely have a T20I future as well. Even if we ourselves value the longer game more, you have to take a balanced view these days.

Hope he doesn’t end up like Rashid in that his red-ball career fizzles out, as it’s so hard to be a Test leg-spinner especially playing half your cricket in England. But equally we can’t deny him the other prospects in the modern game. And taking him to NZ probably won’t really help his development at this stage. Nor might serving him up to the Aussies on seam-friendly pitches with a Dukes ball.

Lawrence deserves another look and might suit the new approach but is likely to be next cab off the rank for now. And Jacks-of-all-trades is probably just seen as a versatile squad man, in the absence of Red Ken, there’s the option to play another batter and leave out Leach if conditions dictate.

beamer wrote:OK, so the five days bit is superfluous, but… Bazball’s coming home?

England tour party announced. Ahmed not taken in unfriendly conditions (focusing on his white-ball winter), Wood rested, new daddy Broad back.

England squad for Test series in New Zealand: Ben Stokes (Durham capt.), James Anderson (Lancashire), Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire), Harry Brook (Yorkshire), Zak Crawley (Kent), Ben Duckett (Nottinghamshire), Ben Foakes (Surrey), Will Jacks (Surrey), Dan Lawrence (Essex), Jack Leach (Somerset), Ollie Pope (Surrey), Matthew Potts (Durham), Ollie Robinson (Sussex), Joe Root (Yorkshire), Olly Stone (Nottinghamshire)

I'm pretty sure that I'm going to sound a bit of a prick here... and after the absolute embarrassment in the last year or so of Root's captaincy I've been glad, very glad, about how we've turned it around. Furthermore, it's been brilliant viewing under Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum.

I've watched some serious spectacles that have enthused the wider public and seemingly every journalist in the world. The battle against 'time' in the first Pakistan Test was such a gripper, as was many of the summer Tests up until the point that we broke away through force of will. In many regards it's been almost unreal. Very refreshing after what was probably the most shameful period I've experienced as an England fan.

But, here comes my ridiculous take on it: the unwillingness to care about the result, although that's not the correct phrase, the sort of "OK, we're either going to win or lose" attitude has taken some of the attrition away from things I enjoyed about Test cricket. It's not as blood and guts, in ways.

It's no doubt the right way to go and Stokes already seems to be "an influential captain", just seems to be one facet taken away from our cricket: the draw. I've seen loads of brilliant draws, which is something foreign to many non cricket fans. The draws haven't had to be negative, as such, but they have been available through an attitude that isn't 'do or die'. As I say, I'm almost sounding curmudgeonly. Maybe the Ashes will bring something slightly different, especially as Australia are pretty much king of the castle at the moment.

Taking the draw out of the equation does take something away from the game (though never underestimate English weather and subcontinental roads to keep it just about alive).

Maybe in time the fifth day will be dropped, or kept as a reserve day for weather interventions only. The idea of four-day Tests wasn’t popular a few years ago, but perhaps the game moving on will necessitate it.

beamer wrote:Taking the draw out of the equation does take something away from the game (though never underestimate English weather and subcontinental roads to keep it just about alive).

Maybe in time the fifth day will be dropped, or kept as a reserve day for weather interventions only. The idea of four-day Tests wasn’t popular a few years ago, but perhaps the game moving on will necessitate it.

I can't see it happening, but I've seen some stats (that I can't recall) about 5th days, or lack thereof, over the last decade. But that extra day's cushion seems to bolster the previous 4 day's play, but yeah, maybe as a reserve day.

Also, here comes the drama: I think partially I'm feeling the after effects of the previous year before StokeCullum took over. It's like almost like even though it's not quite the same team and structure, I can't find forgiveness. They're tainted, whatever they do.

I've seen some horror against Australia over the yuletide period or the buildup to it, but Burns stacking it first ball is surely the nadir. Literally one ball into the series and it was a certainty in my mind that it would be a ceremonial sacrifice for the scant amount of days it lasted. Abject, desperate and pathetic.

The 'crescendo' of losing the final Test against the Windies, well, I think a part of me died and is now a numb callus that has no feeling either way.

We always lose in the Caribbean, however bad they are at the time. Harmison’s series in 2004 was the only exception in over half a century. It’s almost as if they remember what Test cricket is about when England visit, and even on occasions when they come over here (though it’s usually only one inspired match).

England have realised what they can’t do, i.e. bat conventionally for a couple of days to build a big score (other than Root), and adapted accordingly… I never expected such instant success, I was all for a bit of back to basics under Gary Kirsten. It may still come crashing down against Australia but they believe they can chase anything and will give it a go.

I can understand Dan's "missing the attrition" concerns but you can't argue with Baz and Pigsy's results atm.

The current policy is glorious in it's success.

I read Smith is planning to play 3 FC games with sussex before the ashes start. Although I spose he'll
also be in the WTC final vs India. Whereas the best way for englands top players to prep for the ashes
is to play IPL in india. Different strokes for different blokes.

Lost Wombat wrote:Different strokes for different blokes.

Like Stokes, Woakes and Foakes.

Theres no let up for bazball is there: 465 off 69 overs. I wonder if theyve got someone to
sponsor 6s, cos they hit 17 here, and 19 in the last game is RSA.

Thought the Test had started when I got BBC score/wicket alerts this morning, then realised it was just a warm-up…

I remember the last Test we played here was road as 'heck'. Yet we still contrived to lose ignominiously. If the conditions are similar, it'll be 'heckin' interesting to see how we approach it differently, because last time was just a turbo shrug.

Should be a really interesting series.

horace wrote:Should be a really interesting series.

Sort of usually are now with England, one of their merits. Kiwis have a few injuries, they look a bit depleted when that happens. This new mantra leaves us open, a bit, against anyone. So...

Apparently theyve been prepping for a D/N in Tauranga by playing golf, although maybe not jimmy
as he only likes football b4 a match starts. Baz says its to keep everyone 'happy'. Interesting
approach. Wonder how Bazball would work on a turner in India?

Lost Wombat wrote:Wonder how Bazball would work on a turner in India?

Just tell them to run down the pitch and twat it out of the ground on the full…

This Duckett lad goes OK. Might be a find for England.

He is currently on 57* off 39 balls.

This Brook lad goes OK. Might be a find for England.

He is currently 61* off 52 balls. Eng currently 5-244.

Root was out to the most ridiculous poorly executed reverse sweep, which is becoming a blight on Test cricket. Alex Carey was out in both innings in India reverse sweeping. Qunt of a shot that annoys the poo poo out of me.

Jimmeh Anderson with a pink ball under lights is a thing of beauty to watch.

skully wrote:This Brook lad goes OK. Might be a find for England.

He is currently 61* off 52 balls. Eng currently 5-244.

Root was out to the most ridiculous poorly executed reverse sweep, which is becoming a blight on Test cricket. Alex Carey was out in both innings in India reverse sweeping. Qunt of a shot that annoys the poo poo out of me.

Brook’s been The Future for a while, but had to wait his turn carrying drinks for most of last summer… now he already looks undroppable, in Tests at least. Unlike some of the others he’s been fast-tracked into all formats, which shows how highly they rate him. Something of KP about him, though hopefully not in terms of quntitude…

Speaking of quntitude, that’s one reason I was never convinced about Duckett, with stories of his behaviour on early tours which perhaps pushed him down the pecking order. But to his credit he’s risen again and taken his chance.

Root needs to be careful, at the moment he could be the one with his head on the block when Bairstow returns Though I suspect that Jonny B might end up stepping aside for the younger players as per Hussain/Thorpe (it’s pushing 20 years since we had those sort of issues, i.e. more batsmen than places available!) Or being given the gloves, which would be harsh on Foakes. Nice problem to have though, a year or so ago it was 80s-style stick a pin in the county scorecards.

Very hard to face Anderson with a pink ball under lights, the light still looking poor, on a Kiwi pitch! They probably did well to only lose three.

If Crawley hadnt dropped Conway might have been 4.
That mustav woken creepy up cos he took another
soon after. Last time we were this way we made 353,
and then had to watch while NZ made 600, so I hope
that drop isnt costly.

Blundell dragged the Snoozers back into it almost single-handedly then. A typically positive approach from England under lights kept us in the driving seat though, 98 ahead with eight wickets in hand.

England were out bazballed by blundell, but they couldnt get Tickner out.
Again we struggle with the tailenders.

I hope they dont all bat like Broad tomorrow or they will gift it to NZ.

I dont mind so much reverse sweeps against spinners, but trying these
reverse swipes against the quicks seems foolish.